


a heart of steel starts to grow

by blue_skyes



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Hurt, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Lightsaber Battles (Star Wars), No Fluff, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:00:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29129154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_skyes/pseuds/blue_skyes
Summary: She's got lions in her heartA fire in her soulHe's got a beast in his bellyThat's so hard to control'Cause they've taken too much hitsTaking blow by blowNow light a match, stand back, watch them explodeThe fight scene from Twilight of the Apprentice/World Between Worlds told from Ahsoka's perspective.
Relationships: Ahsoka Tano & Darth Vader
Kudos: 10





	a heart of steel starts to grow

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by the scene from Rebels, it mostly follows canon, with a couple of added small differences, just to make the fic hurt a little bit more. :) The title and summary both come from the song Superheroes by The Script. I found that song really encompasses Ahsoka and Anakin's relationship with each other, and would definitely be recommended to be listened to while reading this if you so desire. I hope you enjoy!

She knew she was going to run into the Sith during this mission. She didn’t expect to end up working with Darth Maul, and she definitely didn’t expect to run into him. Ezra managed to escape towards the ship, and it was just the two of them. Ahsoka Tano, former Jedi padawan, facing her former master, now a Sith lord. 

“I was beginning to believe I knew who you were. Behind that mask. But it’s impossible. My master could _never_ be as vile as _you._ ” The last sentence dripped with venom, biting at the man who stood before her.

The sounds of the life support keeping Darth Vader still alive echoed throughout the room, as he turned to face his former padawan. “Anakin Skywalker was weak. I _destroyed_ him.”

A pang flashed across Ahsoka’s face, but she shook it off, hoping to show instead that she was strong. “Then I will avenge his death.”

“Revenge is _not_ the Jedi way.” There was an amused lilt to Vader’s voice as he replied, seemingly intrigued by how much his former padawan had changed.

Ahsoka’s heart tightened at being called a Jedi. She had left the order long ago, and never wanted to be associated with them again. She understood how corrupt they were, and took offense at even being thought of as one. Her face hardened as she stared her former master in the face. ”I am no Jedi.” And with a flick of her wrists, both of Ahsoka’s sabers were out and at the ready.

Vader set his lightsaber in defense, but with the mask covering his face, Ahsoka couldn’t figure out what was going through his mind. Was he at all hesitant? Was he angry? Was there any bit of Anakin even left? As these thoughts flashed through her mind, she knew she had to do something. And just as quickly as those thoughts came and went, Ahsoka lunged at Vader.

Swinging at each other, Ahsoka had to hold back a smile. He hadn’t changed after all these years. Despite everything he said, her former master still had the exact same fighting style, and for a second, it was like they were back at the Jedi temple, sparring in practice for their next mission. She had to shake it off quickly though. They were no longer sparring partners. They were adversaries, swinging to hurt the other. 

Ahsoka wanted to have hope, hope that Anakin was still there. Behind the mask. So hoping he wouldn’t notice, Ahsoka changed her actions to defensive ones. She only struck back when necessary, flipping and sprinting away from his attacks as she blocked. They were close to the edge of the temple now, and Ahsoka felt confused as she hadn’t been hit even once. Had she really improved that much since her days as a Jedi? Or was he purposefully trying not to hit her? Vader was an experienced user of the force, there was no way he couldn’t sense which moves of hers were coming, even after all those years apart. Those thoughts left her guard open however, and before she knew it, Vader force pushed her off the edge, leading her to fall and land onto one of the temple’s ledges. Looking up at him, Ahsoka saw Vader stare at her for a moment, before turning back to the temple. She knew she had to stop him. While she could take anything he would deal her, who knew what he would do to Ezra. Now that they were gone, she was sure that Ezra would have gone back for the holocron, when Vader would do anything to get it back. 

Grabbing her sabers, Ahsoka climbed back up the side of the temple, making it back up just in time to see the temple begin to collapse. Reaching the edge of the center, Ahsoka found Vader force pulling Ezra towards him, trying to retrieve the holocron, with Kanan trying to pull him back towards the ship. In a fit of rage, and fear for her friend, Ahsoka lunged towards Vader, her sabers out, hoping to knock him prone. Flipping as she landed, what she didn’t expect to hear was a cracking sound, along with a groan of pain from behind her. She saw Ezra and Kanan beckoning her toward their ship, hoping to make their escape. But before she could even react, a voice echoed towards her, heavy as it spoke.

“ **_Ahsoka…”_ ** It wasn’t the voice of Darth Vader she heard. No. It was the voice of her former master. Anakin Skywalker. And it sent chills down her spine. The moment her name was spoken, memories began to flash in front of her eyes. The day she first met Anakin, fighting alongside him for the first time as his padawan, the time she disobeyed his orders to go on a mission. Even the little moments, sparring at the temple, studying in the library, or even better, pulling pranks on Obi-Wan. But the most important one that flashed before her eyes was the saddest. The day she left the Jedi Order for good. Handing him her padawan braid, she smiled at him sadly, holding back tears as she turned away to leave. 

She turned to look at him, and he did the same. As their gazes met, Ahsoka’s mouth opened in shock as she gasped. She had cracked his helmet in the attack, and she could finally see part of his face, his eye yellow from the dark side of the force. But despite that, she knew it was Anakin behind that mask. He was still there. Almost exactly the same as when she left.

_Leave…_ That’s when it hit her. She _left_ him. Left him alone to deal with everything on his own. She was selfish, only thinking of herself as she left the Jedi Order behind. She should have taken him with her, or stayed, being there for him when he needed a friend, someone to talk to, to keep him in check. And she didn’t. But this time was going to be different. She wasn’t leaving him. 

_“Ahsoka…”_ The voice called out to her again. Through all of the robotics keeping him breathing, she knew. She was certain that wasn’t Vader calling to her.

_“Anakin…”_ She replied, standing just as he did. Her sabers were at her sides, ready to go at any moment, if anything happened, but he just looked at her.

“I won't leave you!” Ahsoka shouted at him. Looking past Darth Vader and straight at Anakin Skywalker. “Not this time.” She stood her ground, ignoring Ezra’s calls to her as the walls of the temple fell. 

Anakin stood there for a moment, watching Ahsoka. The room was silent other than the sound of his breathing and the electricity coming from the temple. Ahsoka couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. Was he contemplating leaving with her? Her questions were soon answered however, as he squinted at her, looking straight into Ahsoka’s eyes as he said, “Then you will _die_.” His lightsaber was out, and he moved forward, ready to attack his former padawan.

Ahsoka made no motions to move. If she had to die, then she would rather have it be at the hands of her former master. She heard Ezra scream her name, and she turned, pushing him back with the force, making sure he was safe on the other end of the barrier, and left her alone with Anakin. Her use of the force triggered her senses and she reacted in just the nick of time, blocking the saber from hitting her from behind.

Stuck in defensive form, Ahsoka was blocking every one of her former master’s attacks. She wasn’t attacking him, she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to hurt him any more than she already accidentally had. Ahsoka was going to convince Anakin to leave with her, or she was going to die trying. 

He had her cornered. There was nowhere else for her to go. And Ahsoka couldn’t block forever. Summoning the rest of her strength, she pushed him back with the force, shocking both her and Anakin. She knew she was about to die. That was a given. But if she was going, she was taking him with her. She was making good on her promise to not leave him alone. So Ahsoka stabbed her sabers into the ground, making the ground crack around them. But before she could get hit by Anakin’s strike, Ahsoka was pulled through a portal.

Landing on the other side of the portal, she had no idea where she was, but she could see from the other side the floor breaking, and watched as Anakin fell through the floor, without her. She screamed out his name, her voice wracked with sobs and her body shaking. Though unwillingly, she left him alone again. This time, as far as she knew, he was dead. Another promise broken. One of the most important ones she had made too. She curled up into herself, crying herself to sleep, as she heard a voice, familiar yet not at all, calling out to her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope that you enjoyed it, even if it might have made you cry... oops! If you did like it, I'd love it if you let me know! And if you didn't, please tell me what I could do better, as I'm always looking for constructive criticism when it comes to my work!! Thank you again for reading!!


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